CHAPTER XXV
He peered forward over his desk at the tall graceful figure whoseentrance had been so noiseless, and whose footsteps had been so lightthat she stood almost within a few feet of him before he was even awareof her presence. Then his surprise was so great that he could only gaspout her name.
"You! Lucille!"
She smiled upon him delightfully.
"Me! Lucille! Don't blame your servant. I assured him that I wasexpected, so he allowed me to enter unannounced. His astonishment wasa delightful testimony to your reputation, by the bye. He was evidentlynot used to these invasions."
Brott had recovered himself by this time, and if any emotion stillremained he was master of it.
"You must forgive my surprise!" he said. "You have of course somethingimportant to say to me. Will you not loosen your cloak?"
She unfastened the clasp and seated herself in his most comfortablechair. The firelight flashed and glittered on the silver ornaments ofher dress; her neck and arms, with their burden of jewels, gleamed likeporcelain in the semi-darkness outside the halo of his student lamp. Andhe saw that her dark hair hung low behind in graceful folds as he hadonce admired it. He stood a little apart, and she noted his travelingclothes and the various signs of a journey about the room.
"You may be glad to see me," she remarked, looking at him with a smile."You don't look it."
"I am anxious to hear your news," he answered. "I am convinced that youhave something important to say to me."
"Supposing," she answered, still looking at him steadily, "supposingI were to say that I had no object in coming here at all--that it wasmerely a whim? What should you say then?"
"I should take the liberty," he answered quietly, "of doubting theevidence of my senses."
There was a moment's silence. She felt his aloofness. It awoke in hersome of the enthusiasm with which this mission itself had failed toinspire her. This man was measuring his strength against hers.
"It was not altogether a whim," she said, her eyes falling from his,"and yet--now I am here--it does not seem easy to say what was in mymind."
He glanced towards the clock.
"I fear," he said, "that it may sound ungallant, but in case thissomewhat mysterious mission of yours is of any importance I had betterperhaps tell you that in twenty minutes I must leave to catch the Scotchmail."
She rose at once to her feet, and swept her cloak haughtily around her.
"I have made a mistake," she said. "Be so good as to pardon myintrusion. I shall not trouble you again."
She was half-way across the room. She was at the door, her hand was uponthe handle. He was white to the lips, his whole frame was shaking withthe effort of intense repression. He kept silence, till only a flutterof her cloak was to be seen in the doorway. And then the cry which hehad tried so hard to stifle broke from his lips.
"Lucille! Lucille!"
She hesitated, and came back--looking at him, so he thought, withtrembling lips and eyes soft with unshed tears.
"I was a brute," he murmured. "I ought to be grateful for this chance ofseeing you once more, of saying good-bye to you."
"Good-bye!" she repeated.
"Yes," he said gravely. "It must be good-bye. I have a great work beforeme, and it will cut me off completely from all association with yourworld and your friends. Something wider and deeper than an ocean willdivide us. Something so wide that our hands will never reach across."
"You can talk about it very calmly," she said, without looking at him.
"I have been disciplining myself," he answered.
She rested her face upon her hand, and looked into the fire.
"I suppose," she said, "this means that you have refused Mr.Letheringham's offer."
"I have refused it," he answered.
"I am sorry," she said simply.
She rose from her chair with a sudden start, began to draw on her cloak,and then let it fall altogether from her shoulders.
"Why do you do this?" she asked earnestly. "Is it that you are soambitious? You used not to be so--in the old days."
He laughed bitterly.
"You too, then," he said, "can remember. Ambitious! Well, why not? Tobe Premier of England, to stand for the people, to carry through to itslogical consummation a bloodless revolution, surely this is worth while.Is there anything in the world better worth having than power?"
"Yes," she answered, looking him full in the eyes.
"What is it then? Let me know before it is too late."
"Love!"
He threw his arms about her. For a moment she was powerless in hisgrasp.
"So be it then," he cried fiercely. "Give me the one, and I will denythe other. Only no half measures! I will drink to the bottom of the cupor not at all."
She shook herself free from him, breathless, consumed with an anger towhich she dared not give voice. For a moment or two she was speechless.Her bosom rose and fell, a bright streak of colour flared in her cheeks.Brott stood away from her, white and stern.
"You--are clumsy!" she said. "You frighten me!"
Her words carried no conviction. He looked at her with a new suspicion.
"You talk like a child," he answered roughly, "or else your wholeconduct is a fraud. For months I have been your slave. I have abandonedmy principles, given you my time, followed at your heels like a tamedog. And for what? You will not marry me, you will not commit yourselfto anything. You are a past mistress in the art of binding fools to yourchariot wheels. You know that I love you--that there breathes on thisearth no other woman for me but you. I have told you this in all savewords a hundred times. And now--now it is my turn. I have been playedwith long enough. You are here unbidden--unexpected. You can considerthat door locked. Now tell me why you came."
Lucille had recovered herself. She stood before him, white but calm.
"Because," she said, "I am a woman."
"That means that you came without reason--on impulse?" he asked.
"I came," she said, "because I heard that you were about to take a stepwhich must separate us for ever."
"And that," he asked, "disturbed you?"
"Yes!"
"Come, we are drawing nearer together," he said, a kindling light inhis eyes. "Now answer me this. How much do you care if this eternalseparation does come? Here am I on the threshold of action. Unless Ichange my mind within ten minutes I must throw in my lot with those whomyou and your Order loathe and despise. There can be no half measures.I must be their leader, or I must vanish from the face of thepolitical world. This I will do if you bid me. But the price must beyourself--wholly, without reservation--yourself, body and soul."
"You care--as much as that?" she murmured.
"Ask me no questions, answer mine!" he cried fiercely. "You shall staywith me here--or in five minutes I leave on my campaign."
She laughed musically.
"This is positively delicious," she exclaimed. "I am being made love toin medieval fashion. Other times other manners, sir! Will you listen toreason?"
"I will listen to nothing--save your answer, yes or no," he declared,drawing on his overcoat.
She laid her hand upon his shoulder.
"Reginald," she said, "you are like the whirlwind--and how can I answeryou in five minutes!"
"You can answer me in one," he declared fiercely. "Will you pay my priceif I do your bidding? Yes or no! The price is yourself. Now! Yes or no?"
She drew on her own cloak and fastened the clasp with shaking fingers.Then she turned towards the door.
"I wish you good-bye and good fortune, Reginald," she said. "I daresaywe may not meet again. It will be better that we do not."
"This then is your answer?" he cried.
She looked around at him. Was it his fancy, or were those tears in hereyes? Or was she really so wonderful an actress?
"Do you think," she said, "that if I had not cared I should have comehere?"
"Tell me that in plain words," he cried. "It is all I ask."
The
door was suddenly opened. Grahame stood upon the threshold. Helooked beyond Lucille to Brott.
"You must really forgive me," he said, "but there is barely time tocatch the train, Brott. I have a hansom waiting, and your luggage ison."
Brott answered nothing. Lucille held out her hands to him.
"Yes or no?" he asked her in a low hoarse tone.
"You must--give me time! I don't want to lose you. I--"
He caught up his coat.
"Coming, Grahame," he said firmly. "Countess, I must beg your pardonten thousand times for this abrupt departure. My servants will call yourcarriage."
She leaned towards him, beautiful, anxious, alluring.
"Reginald!"
"Yes or no," he whispered in her ear.
"Give me until to-morrow," she faltered.
"Not one moment," he answered. "Yes--now, this instant--or I go!"
"Brott! My dear man, we have not a second to lose."
"You hear!" he muttered. "Yes or no?"
She trembled.
"Give me until to-morrow," she begged. "It is for your own sake. Foryour own safety."
He turned on his heel! His muttered speech was profane, butinarticulate. He sprang into the hansom by Grahame's side.
"Euston!" the latter cried through the trap-door. "Double fare, cabby.We must catch the Scotchman."
Lucille came out a few moments later, and looked up and down the streetas her brougham drove smartly up. The hansom was fast disappearing inthe distance. She looked after it and sighed.